Collecting (Mining?) a Treasure Trove of Personal Data on Home Buyers and Sellers (and their Realtors) [Note to Readers: The views expressed here are solely those of Ross Kaplan, and do not represent Edina Realty, Berkshire Hathaway (“Berkshire”), or any other entity referenced. Edina Realty is a subsidiary of Berkshire.] To consumers and even...Read More
When Lightning (the good kind) Strikes Does love at first sight happen in real estate? Absolutely. However, I’d say it occurs less than 10% of the time. When it does, though, you know it: like lightning striking, the Buyer ” or Buyers, if it’s a couple ” immediately have a changed look in their...Read More
Smart Landscaping, or, “What a Difference Two Months Make!” The “it” in question would be the home ” make that homes ” at 2545 Huntington in St. Louis Park’s Fern Hill neighborhood, sitting at the northeast corner of Huntington and 26th St. In the top photo, the row of deciduous trees (vs. evergreen) provide a...Read More
Left Holding the (Garbage) Bag: Reason #17 for Buyers to Do a Walk-Through Inspection It’s certainly possible that the weekly garbage collector will haul away all of the Seller’s junk, left curbside. But, I wouldn’t count on it. And neither should the Buyer. Instead, I’d negotiate either: a) a $500 escrow (holdback) from the sales proceeds,...Read More
A Realtor’s Definition of a “7” (or a “3” or a “9”) vs. a Consumer’s [Note to Readers: The views expressed here are solely those of Ross Kaplan, and do not represent Edina Realty, Berkshire Hathaway, or any other entity referenced.] Good Buyers’ agents don’t just qualify their clients financially, they also vet the...Read More
“Who Ya Gonna Call?” (When an Offer Comes In) As a Buyer’s agent, how can you tell if the listing agent (representing the Seller) is taking your client’s offer seriously? They call the Buyer’s lender ” specifically, the lender on the Buyer’s Pre-Approval letter ” and verify key information. Like, whether they’ve previously worked with...Read More
